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Hamas hands over Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander to Red Cross-UPDATED

12 May 2025 13:49 (UTC +04:00)

Hamas released US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, who has been held in Gaza since October 2023, on Monday afternoon, APA reports, citing France 24.

The handover took place in Khan Younis – in the southern Gaza Strip – amid direct talks between Hamas and the United States aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump on Monday for helping to secure Alexander's release.

***13:49

Hamas is set to release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander today after over 580 days in captivity, APA reports citing Times of Israel.

The Palestinian terror group agreed to the move as a gesture of goodwill to US President Donald Trump ahead of his trip to the region, hoping that he will in turn coax Israel to sign a deal freeing the remaining hostages in exchange for an end to the war, a US official, a Palestinian official and a third source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Sunday.

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff called Alexander’s parents Yael and Adi on Sunday afternoon to inform them of the news, a US official said. The Alexanders flew to Israel with US hostage envoy Adam Boehler on Sunday night in order to arrive in time for Alexander’s release. Witkoff was slated to fly to Israel separately from Oman, where he held the fourth round of nuclear talks with Iran on Sunday.

“The entire family is now on the way to Israel,” Edan’s father, Adi, told the Ynet news site. “We were completely surprised to receive the call from Witkoff. We knew about the negotiations but not about such a dramatic development.”

When he emerges from captivity in the coming hours, Edan Alexander will become the first male hostage soldier abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, to be returned to Israel by the terror group.

Alexander, a dual citizen who grew up in New Jersey, was serving in the IDF’s Golani Brigade at the time of his abduction. He was kidnapped from his base near the Gaza border community of Nirim, known as the White House post, during the October 7 onslaught.

On October 7, Hamas took 19 male soldiers hostage — not all of them on duty — and seven female surveillance soldiers, the latter of whom have all since been returned to Israel. Five were released in a deal with Hamas, one was rescued, and the body of one was recovered by troops.